A report released Friday by the Legislative Services Agency proposes that Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne become a Purdue campus. But there are many unanswered questions that have students and faculty concerned.
The report examined the role and governance of IPFW, and proposes that Purdue would be the sole governing entity of the campus. IU would maintain control of the School of Medicine and related programs.
Michael Berghoff, the chair of the legislative working group, says the change is necessary to make IPFW more efficient, but couldn’t answer many specific questions from faculty at a Friday meeting. He said future feasibility studies will look at those concerns.
Andrew Downs, director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at IPFW and a member of the working group, says that uncertainty is exactly why he voted against it.
“I think there are some things in the proposal that actually sound very good, but I’m not willing to accept that on blind faith,” Downs said.
For example, some faculty members work for departments in both schools and are uncertain where they will end up.
Other concerns include how those pursuing double degrees would meet the requirements from both schools, and what will happen to programs that Purdue does not currently offer.
Less than a year ago IPFW was designated a multisystem metropolitan university, which gave the campus more independence and allowed it to offer degrees not offered by IU or Purdue.
Berghoff says that model didn’t solve many of the governance issues IPFW continues to have.
